Virgin Islands Geography - 2005

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
18 20 N, 64 50 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 352 sq km
land: 349 sq km
water: 3 sq km

Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
188 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November

Terrain:
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m

Natural resources:
sun, sand, sea, surf

Land use:
arable land: 11.76%
permanent crops: 2.94%
other: 85.3% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources